Bright as the Midnight Sun
by thethirteenthdoctor
Summary: Prequel-ish to my other DW fic A Forgotten Future. Upon regenerating for the thirteenth time, the Doctor receives a distress call from a planet that should have been abandoned.
1. Preface

**BBC owns everything but Thirteen. R&R!**

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"Legs, two; hands, two; fingers, ten..."

The Doctor had regenerated, and was now doing an inventory of limbs. "Hair! How's my hair? Not ginger. Long, though. Brown. Oh, well. Feet, two; torso, one; chest- oh!" She looked down at herself. "Oh my god. I'm a girl!"

She stood up, stretching and looking around. "I always wanted to be a girl," she said to no one in particular. "Wait, maybe I just think I did, because I'm a girl now. The Middle Ages could be a problem... I'll need a male companion. Maybe... no, he's busy with Torchwood. Oh, well. Let's see what happens."

Her old psychic paper lay on the floor, must have fallen out of her pocket. When she picked it up, she flipped it open, just for old times' sake. She didn't expect to see a message. It was only a few words:

DOCTOR

IT'S BACK

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**A/N: Short chapter to start off! I imagined it as the bit before the title sequence.**


	2. Flashback

_~Flashback~_

_A -long time/not so long- -ago/in the future-:_

_The rescue pod had finally arrived, and the passengers of the Voyager tour bus on the planet Midnight, 27th century, were on their way back to the Leisure Palace. The passengers were showing different reactions to the rescue, the loss of two passengers and the two drivers, and what they had just experienced on that tour bus. Some were sitting, shaken, but a few (mainly just Biff Cane and Professor Hobbes, two disgusting examples of human beings) were celebrating their rescue and survival, and when they thought of those who had been lost, they celebrated because it wasn't them, paying no mind to the people who had given their lives that day. The Doctor watched all of them, thinking of Sky and the hostess, while analyzing the passengers' behavior, specifically the two men who had ignored all his warnings and even tried to throw him to his death. However, there was one person who exhibited neither of these behaviors- Jethro. He had pulled his knees to his chest and was covering his face with his hands. Muffled sobs came from behind his hands, quiet enough that no one but the Doctor could hear them. Deciding that, of all of them, Jethro was the one who most needed a "doctor", the Doctor broke out of his sulk and laid his hand on the boy's shoulder._

_"Dammit Dad, don't you think you've messed things up enough today? Leave me alone!" Jethro said quietly but with conviction. The Doctor noted that Jethro was trying to stand up to his father, whereas before, he had done as he was told._

_"I'm not your father," the Doctor said softly. Jethro started and looked up, wiping the tears off his face._

_"I- Doctor," he said quickly. "Oh god, I'm so- so sorry. I don't... my father... it was my fault-"_

_The Doctor cut him off. "Jethro. It was not your fault, none of it. You did what your father told you to do. That's the default mechanism for anyone in a dangerous situation."_

_"But... sometimes that's a bad thing then. And I should have stood up to him, I should've..." He trailed off, looking lost._

* * *

_"What?" _

_"I just came to tell you... I mean, I figured you'd like to know." Jethro looked around. "My parents will be looking for me."_

_"But... why aren't they going to close the Luxury Palace?" The Doctor was very, very, confused_

_"I don't know, all I know is that's what they said."_

_The Doctor sighed. "Alright, Jethro, I need you to remember this. That creature, whatever it was, is going to strike again. When that happens, you need to tell me."_

_"What, you won't find out?"_

_The Doctor sighed again and explained everything to Jethro._

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_After he finished, Jethro looked stunned for a minute, then said, "How do I contact you?"_

_"Make a wish. That usually works." _

_~End Flashback~ _

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**A/N: Next chapter the action starts!**

**R&R please!**


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